


Of Fire and Water

by Savvy Sea (SavvySea)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bisexual Character, Canonical Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Drama, F/M, Gen, Multi, Mystery, Original Character(s), Side Story, Suspense, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-08 15:52:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5503691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SavvySea/pseuds/Savvy%20Sea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fire, a promise, and a story untold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

O N E .

 

 

         “Nu-uh! that’s not true!”

  

         “Yes it is. she takes annoying little sisters while they’re asleep and they’re never seen again. I heard she eats them toes first!”

 

         “Graaaaandmaaa!”

 

         The young shinobi looked up from his meal in the corner, watching the children argue with mild amusement. Outside the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow through the windows of the old tavern as its evening patrons began to trickle in. He watched as the elderly woman working the bar put her rag down with a sigh and walked over to the pair.

 

         “Hajime, are you teasing your sister again?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips and looking down at the boy fondly.

  

         “He’s being mean to me grandma!”

 

         “Is that so?” a smile played across her lips as she turned to the younger, “and how is young Hajime being mean to his little sister this time?”

  

         “He says the lady in the mountain wants to eat me!”

 

         “She eats all the annoying little sisters. They’re her favorite.” the boy grinned, hunching down and attempting to grab at his sister.

 

         “GRAANDMAA!” the child squealed and hid behind the woman.

  

         Grandma sighed and glared at her grandson “Atsuko, the mountain lady isn’t going to eat you. Your brother is just trying to scare you.”

 

         “I don’t want her to eat my toes!”

  

         “She won’t eat your toes.”

 

         “Yes she will. I bet Atsuko’s toes would be her favorite”

  

         “GRANDMA!”

 

         “Hajime!” the woman scolded, exasperated by the two of them. A few of the other patrons had begun to pay attention to the old bartender and her grandchildren, some of them wearing knowing smirks. “The lady in the mountain doesn’t want your toes, Atsuko. She prefers dumplings.”

 

         Both children gasped in unison at this, and the shinobi raised and eyebrow quizzically from his seat in the corner.

  

         “You’ve seen the mountain lady, granny?” Hajime asked skeptically

  

         “Yes, though she was still very young last i saw her. It’s been many years since she’s visited my tavern.”

           

         “Do ghosts eat dumplings, grandma?” Atsuko looked up at her, mystified

 

          Their grandmother smiled “She’s not a ghost, dear. Her name is Yuki, and she has had a very hard life.”

 

          “Snowy mountain lady...”

 

          “Granny are you telling the truth?”

 

          “Of course, dear”

 

          “Then how did you meet her? Mom told me she lived on the mountain.”

 

          “Is she made of snow? Like a snowman lady?”

 

         “Oh it was a long time ago” the old bartender walked behind the bar and returned to her work, “I had seen her a few times when her mother came down to our village for supplies, but I’d never really met her until…” She paused, as if trying to determine how much she should tell the children, and was acutely aware that her shinobi patron was also listening intently to her story. A waitress walked over to check on him and obscured her peripheral view for a moment as she became lost in thought. He looked...familiar, but too young...no, it would be foolish for her to think that.

 

          “well is she?”

 

          Atsuko’s voice brought the old woman out of her memories, “I-Is she what dear?”

 

          “Is she made of snow, grandma!”

 

          “What?” her grandmother stopped mid pour and looked at the child in confusion.

 

          Hajime rolled his eyes, “She wants to know if the mountain lady is a snowman cause you said her name was Yuki, but that’s dumb.”

 

          “Hey!”

 

          “When did you really meet her granny?”

 

          “Oh. Ah... she came to the tavern one night with her sister.”

 

          “The night the mountain burned.” and older man at the bar added solemnly from his half empty cup of saké, “Nearly twenty years ago now.”

 

          “Twenty! it’s only been eighteen,” another man argued, “ya feggin-”

 

          “YES,” she interrupted, “It was many years ago, she came to me with her sister for help that night because their house was on fire.”

 

         The older man scoffed, “Don’t sugar coat it for ‘em Chiasa, they gotta learn about the world sometime. *hic* Otherwise it’ll get em good an’ you won’t be able to shield ‘em forever.”

 

          “Thank you, Masato, but I will be the judge of what my grandchildren need to know of this at their age” Chiasa scowled.

 

          “Aw come on, granny, tell us!”

 

          “No, Hajime. Your mother wouldn’t be very happy with me if I did without her consent.”

 

          “Did the people who lived up there die, grandma?”

 

         Their grandmother shook her head in disbelief. How Atsuko could be this perceptive at her age, she would never know, “What makes you think that, sweetheart?”

 

          “He said the mountain burned. Fire kills the trees so if there were people up there then they would have too right grandma?”

 

          “Well, yes.” Chiasa reluctantly nodded, putting the bottle down on the counter “That’s why the girls came to ask for help.”

 

          “How did the mountain catch on fire then, granny? Why couldn’t the people that lived up there put it out?” Hajime asked smugly

 

         “Bah, girls...one of em was nothin but a year old.” the old man muttered, “damn mercenaries...” he added quieter, but still loud enough that the man in the corner caught it.

 

          ‘Granny’ Chiasa glowered at Masato, “...They were attacked.”

 

          “By who?”

 

          “Did bad people hurt them, grandma?” Atsuko chimed in timidly.

 

          “No, I don’t think they were bad people, but they did a bad thing.” she sighed

 

          “Why? Were the people on the mountain bad people?”

 

          “They were kind people, they protected our village many times. They were just... different, and some people are afraid of different.”

 

          “The people who hurt them were scared?”

 

          “Yes, dear. Fear can make people do many things they wouldn’t usually do.”

 

          “Like kill and entire clan.” Masato mumbled bringing his cup up to take a drink.

 

          The bartender snapped her rag on his knuckles, causing him to drop his drink “I think you’ve had enough for tonight, Masato.”

 

          “Aw whaddya do that fer Chi?” he whined.

 

         She ignored him and glanced around the room. Most of her regulars had already had their meals and gone home, but the dark haired man in the corner was watching quietly as he sipped on a cup of tea. A tug on her apron caught her attention and she looked down to see that Atsuko had come behind the counter and was standing next to her.

 

          “...grandma, I was scared of Yuki but I didn’t want to hurt her.”

 

          “I know you wouldn’t, honey, you’re a very brave girl.”

 

          “But I was scared.”

 

         Chiasa bent down as much as her old bones would let her to look her granddaughter in the eyes “Yes, but it takes a very brave person not to want to hurt someone who they think could hurt them. I’m very proud of you Atsuko.” she smiled, patting her on the head.

 

          “Those people thought the people on the mountain could hurt them?”

 

          “Yes.”

 

          “Would they have hurt those people?”

 

         “No, they just wanted to live their lives peacefully like us, but those other people were cowards and decided they would hurt our friends on the mountain before they could hurt them.”

 

          “They were mean.”

 

          “Yes they were. They were cowards and they hurt people to protect themselves, but a brave person protects others.”

 

          “...I want to be brave, grandma.”

 

         “I know you will be, dear. You’ve always been my little lionheart.” Chiasa smiled and straightened up, glancing out the window, “My! It’s gotten late! I need my brave girl to go get her brother and keep him safe on the way home to your parents. Can you do that for me?”

 

          “Yes grandma!” Atsuko grinned

 

          “That’s my girl!”

 

         The girl bounded off to grab her brother and tugged on him until he reluctantly started walking to the door. The old woman waved to them as they said goodbye, smiling until the door shut behind them. Her smile faded once the door was closed and she snapped Masato with her towel again.

 

          “Ow! What was that fer ya old bat?” he yelped

 

         “That’s for not keeping your mouth shut about the village around my grandchildren! I do not need them going back to my daughter with stories of a massacre! She’d never let them come see me again!”

 

          Masato chuckled “Don’t tell me you’ve somehow kept that from your daughter too.”

 

          “Of course not! It’s simply not a story that’s good for young children to hear! ...Especially my grandchildren!” she chided

 

          “Why not? Yuki an her sister were kids and they saw it happen first hand. Miracle that they even got away…”

 

          Chiasa sighed in frustration, “And just how exactly do you think that affected either of them in a remotely positive way? Did you see Yuki last time she came by?”

 

         “Hell yeah I did, fine piece o’ woman, her. Pity about that man of hers though, with a girl like that on his arm an...hehe...other places... I guess he lived pretty damn well before he got snuffed.”

 

          “Masato, I swear you there’s not a moral bone in your body! You are unbearable sometimes, show some respect!”

 

         “Never said there was.” the old man laughed, “Y’know I reckon that lil sister of hers looks pretty good now too. She had them same striking eyes and pretty hair. Wouldn’t have figgered it was natural if i hadn’t seen ‘er when she was jus’ born.”

 

          “Enough, Masato!” she warned.

 

         “Ehehe bet that boy in the corner would be interested in hearin’ more about some fine women. Hard to come by these days.” he motioned towards the stranger who stiffened slightly in response. “What was ‘er name? some kinda tree...”

 

          The bartender sighed. “Saki, I believe.”

 

          “THAT’S THE ONE!”

 

         “Ugh... yes. Are you satisfied? You’ve probably woken up half the village by now,” She glanced around the room to see who was still there with them. The young man, now her last customer besides Masato, certainly seemed more than curious about their conversation. He was a traveler no doubt, and would probably need a room for the night. “...and disturbed my patrons.” she added.

 

          “Ah, you know this place would be boring without me, Chi.” he grinned stupidly as he stood up and stumbled to the door.

 

          “You’re drunk. Go home.”

 

          “You’d miss me *hic*”

 

          “Yes. Terribly. What ever would I do without you terrorizing my tavern every night, Masato?”

 

          “HA. I knew ya liked me!” Masato chuckled as the door closed behind him.

 

         Chiasa rolled her eyes, and started cleaning up the bar. One of her waitresses came in to clean the tables, and she could hear the others helping the cook in the back. Finally some peace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some answers, more questions

T W O .

 

         The man in the corner booth shifted slightly, and she looked up to meet his gaze. There was definitely something familiar about him. “If there’s anything you need just let me or one of the girls know,” she smiled, “and I’ve got a few rooms vacant if you’re looking for somewhere to stay.”

 

         “Thank you.” he responded politely

 

         The old woman nodded and continued her work, wiping off the bottles and returning them to their rightful places. Picking up the napkins and used towels, Chiasa glanced idly at a dark stain on the wooden counter and swallowed. She sighed, placing a stack of menus on top of it and shifting to collect all the used glasses to take to the kitchen. How was it tonight that these memories were refreshed all too vividly.

 

         “Who were they?”

 

         “Hm?” The bartender blinked “Who was who?” she looked up, distracted.

 

         “The clan that lived on the mountain.”

 

         “Most of the villages in these parts know this story.” It was the young man, of course. She had expected him to ask at some point, but wasn’t sure what information to trust him with. “...Where are you from, boy?”

 

         “Konohagakure.”

 

         Chiasa raised an eyebrow “I’m surprised you haven’t heard the name at least then. Are you from a smaller clan? The older ones know of this I’m certain.”

 

         “You could say that.” he grimaced.

 

         “Your eyes tell a different story than your mouth, son.”

 

         “...I have no ill intent towards you, I am simply interested in the history of this place.” he replied calmly

 

         Silence filled the air as the elder carefully inspected the man before her.

 

         “The Tatsumaki clan,” she started hesitantly “was originally one of the founding clans of Konoha.”

 

         “Tatsumaki?”

 

         “Yes.”

 

         “That seems strange given that Konoha serves the Land of Fire.”

 

         “I said originally did I not?” Chiasa retorted, handing the basket of used cups to a waitress, “They did not stay with the village. They were, in fact, exiled from Konoha by another clan.”

 

         “What did they do?”

 

         She sighed, “I am no expert on the matter, but as it has been explained to me, they were seen as a threat due to their hereditary abilities.”

 

         “A threat to the village or one of the clans?” the man shifted, leaning forwards subconsciously.

 

         “A clan. I imagine you’re familiar with the Uchiha, yes?”

 

         “Yes.” he frowned slightly.

 

         “Being nearly equal opposites, they saw the Tatsumaki as their natural enemy, and in the very beginning the Uchiha plotted to remove them from Konoha.” Chiasa hung up her towel and came out from behind the bar to sit across from the young warrior.

 

         “What do you mean by equal opposites? The Uchiha possess one of the three great Dojutsu. How can a clan I’ve never heard of possess an equal that does not exist?”

 

         She smirked, “If Konoha doesn’t teach about the fourth great eye technique, the Ishigan, then the Uchiha succeeded in effectively removing the Tatsumaki from shinobi history. However, they did not think to remove them from the earth until 18 years ago, and lucky for you I’m a bit older than that.”

 

         The young man leaned back in his chair, silently waiting for her to continue.

 

         “Now then. As it was, the Tatsumaki left the village willingly when tension between the two rose to a breaking point. A young man from the Tatsumaki and a young woman from the Uchiha had fallen in love against their parent’s wishes, you see, and the resulting feud brought many deaths to both sides. The exiled clan traveled the countryside for months seeking shelter until they came to our village. Our leaders assisted the Tatsumaki clan in building a remote community on the mountain to the north, and in return, the clan chose to live peacefully and protect us and the surrounding villages in times of war.”

 

         “Then, if the Tatsumaki were living peacefully, why did the Uchiha attack them again? … If you don’t mind me asking.” he said skeptically.

 

         “You’re old enough to remember something of the final years of the Uchiha clan, aren’t you? This was six years before they themselves were wiped out almost entirely.”

 

         He frowned, but nodded.

 

         “The word was, that the leaders of the clan had become increasingly paranoid and secretive. I believe they attacked in a fit of madness, personally. Destroying those who they saw as a threat to the clan’s security before they could move against them, despite all evidence to the contrary... It just seems like something only the paranoid and desperate would do doesn’t it?” Chiasa shook her head, bitterly looking down at her hands, “All those people… I cannot believe that anyone in their right mind could wipe out an entire group of people as mercilessly as the Uchiha did to the Tatsumaki. It was _madness_. There is no honor in such a crime.”

 

         “They killed all of them?”

 

         “All but the two girls. Every man, woman, child and infant... the lucky ones were all slaughtered like cattle, but many unfortunate souls were trapped in their homes and burned alive. From what Yuki told me, a kunoichi took pity on them and helped them escape. She called her... Mikoto? Yes, I believe that’s right.” the old woman nodded thoughtfully, “The poor dears were still very beat up and covered in soot when they made it to the village that night. There was blood... everywhere.” out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the counter where she’d placed the stack of menus before turning to the young man.

 

         He felt sick. “Wouldn’t the Uchiha come down to the village to make sure no one got away? Where did the two children go?”

 

         “A few, but they didn’t get too close. Disturbing our village any more than they already had would have brought agents sent by the emperor to investigate and I’d guess they didn’t want to risk being found out. My husband and I hid the girls in our tavern and patched them up as best as we could while the town watched the mountain burn.”

 

         “That’s...horrible.”

 

         The bartender scoffed, “I’d be concerned if you thought it wasn’t. It’s appalling what these ninja villages get away with when it doesn’t involve other lands. I suppose it’s strange that only six years later the Uchiha were massacred in the same way, save for the two boys.”

 

         “...how old were the Tatsumaki girls? Could they have had anything to do with…”

 

         “Oh, heavens no.” Chiasa replied suppressing a laugh, “The youngest was only 7 when the Uchiha clan was destroyed.”

 

         “and the oldest?”

 

         “Yuki would have been 13. Which is hardly old enough to have the power to destroy an entire clan by herself.”

 

         “What if she had help?”

 

         She smirked, “You’re suggesting that two 13 year olds killed the entire Uchiha clan? No, Yuki has always been a pacifist.”

 

         “So was Itachi Uchiha, but he was definitely involved.” he argued.

 

         The old woman gave him a curious look, “You seem to know a good deal about the Uchihas, boy. What clan did you say you were from?”

 

         “I didn’t.”

 

         “That classified is it?” she raised an eyebrow, “Do they teach you manners at that ninja training school?”

 

         “Not exactly.”

 

         “Huh. I can tell…” She leaned back, inspecting him again, “You look familiar, anyhow, I just can’t place it yet.”

 

         “I've never been here before.”

 

         “Oh, I know that, dear. Do you have a brother or something?”

 

         “No.”

 

         “Well then isn’t that just the strangest thing.” Chiasa shrugged, deciding to drop the subject for now.

 

         “What happened to those two after the massacre?”

 

         “You know, for a traveler, you seem to be very interested in the girls. Why is that, I wonder?” 

 

         “...I gathered that they don’t live here now when you were talking earlier." he responded, ignoring her previous comment, "Did they once?”

 

         “For a few weeks they stayed with my husband and I, but no, they didn’t live here.”

 

         “Where did they go?”

 

         “One day, Yuki met a boy about her age that was visiting our market and they became fast friends.  She didn’t smile much after the night her clan died, but whenever she was with that boy, she always looked so happy. They were the cutest thing back then- their little heads always bobbing around in the wheat fields as they played.” She smiled sadly to herself, “One day, she came to me and said that she and her sister were going to go home with the boy and he was going to help her find a family for her sister. I asked Yuki where she was going to go if she wasn’t going to live with her sister, and she told me that she wanted to become a ninja so she could protect the people she loved.” The old woman shook her head, picking at a rough spot on the table, “Forced to grow up so fast because of a tragic loss, and she chose to sacrifice her own happiness and last link to family to ensure her sister’s safety. She was seven.” Chiasa frowned, “Children shouldn’t have to make decisions like that.”

 

         “It happens more often than you’d think.”

 

         The bartender looked up after a moment of tense silence, “Unfortunately, that’s as much of their story as I know. Yuki moved to Kirigakure to train, but she’s never told me where she found a home for her sister. She’s convinced that Saki is safer with as few ties to her and their clan as possible. As young as her little sister was, it’s likely she doesn’t remember any of this and is living happily unaware of her past. In fact, to learn anything else, you’d have to ask Yuki herself.”

 

         “Does she visit often?”

 

         “No, and I wouldn’t recommend searching for her. With the loss of her husband and… other things, she’s become a bit reclusive, if not outright aggressive.”

 

         After considering the story the old woman had told him for a moment, the shinobi nodded and stood up, “Thank you for your time, Mrs…”

 

         “Just call me Chi, or granny Chi if you feel the need.” she smiled warmly, “Will you be staying here tonight?”

 

         “No ma’am, I should be on my way.” he replied, placing his money on the table and walking to the door.

 

         “Alright, take care of yourself, young man.”

 

         “I will, thank you. Goodnight.” he smiled slightly.

 

         “Goodnight!” she echoed, waving as he stepped out into the cold and closed the door behind.

 

         Once he was gone, a peaceful silence fell over the tavern again and Chiasa noticed snow was beginning to fall outside. She stood up, stretching and gathered the remaining dishes from the table as one of her waitresses walked into the room.

 

         “I can take those for you, miss Chi.”

 

         “Thank you, Yori dear.” The old woman smiled, handing them to her. She was a young woman from the village that Chiasa had hired nearly two years ago and was one of her best waitresses.

 

         “You’re welcome ma’am.” she replied politely. Yori began walking towards the kitchen but stopped to stare at the falling snow outside. “...Ma’am?”

 

         “Hm? What is it dear?”

 

         The young woman hesitated before she spoke, “Who...was that man?”

 

         “You were his waitress weren’t you? Did you not speak with him?”

 

         “He was polite, but didn’t say much. I know he’s from the shinobi village.”

 

         “He is indeed from Konohagakure," she confirmed, " and he seems to be traveling alone; which only their best agents are occasionally asked to do. As to who he actually is, I never did get a name out of him.”

 

         “What did he ask you about?”

 

         “Well aren't you full of questions, too!” The bartender chuckled “Are you sure you didn’t take a liking to him, Yori? He was quite handsome.”

 

         “Ah, no ma’am!” she stammered, “I was just curious. We don’t get many visitors, that’s all.”

 

         “Come to think of it, you do prefer men with darker hair and pretty eyes.” Chiasa smiled slyly and winked at her, “He had some questions for me about the story I was telling my grandchildren earlier.”

 

         “You mean the ruins of the Tatsumaki clan?”

 

         “More or less, yes.”

 

         “What did you tell him? Wouldn’t it be dangerous for some in Konohagakure to learn of miss Yuki?”

 

         “I told him enough to satisfy him, and nothing more. Although, given their ancestry, those two hardly need worry about protection.”

 

         “What about Saki? If she is unaware of who she really is, her Ishigan would most likely still be dormant. Would she not be more vulnerable without her full power?”

 

         “Their eye abilities are only part of why the Tatsumaki were so feared by other shinobi; they also had a natural resistance to illusionary techniques, which is formidable enough on it’s own.”

 

         “They were immune to genjutsu?”

 

         Chiasa nodded, “Even the most amateur of their clan could recognize and dispel such attacks quickly and with minimal effort. It served them well when they defended our village against shinobi raids during the great wars of the past.”

 

         “How do you know so much about them, if it’s not too bold of me?”

 

         “Oh it’s quite alright, I know it seems strange for an old bat like me to know so much about their world. To be honest, I learned most of it from serving tables when I was younger just like you. I was close friends with many of them, but a good server knows how to make conversation with all of their patrons, and a little wine will loosen any tongue.” she smirked, “Especially if it’s at no cost to them.”

 

         “I-I haven’t thought of it that way before.”

 

         “You really are in the best position to gather information from all kinds of people, Yori. I can teach you sometime if you’d like.”

 

         “Isn’t it wrong to treat them that way though? As a host I mean.”

 

         “Information is man’s oldest and most valuable currency, dear; anyone who wishes to be successful must learn how to harness it.”

 

         Yori was silent for a minute, considering her options, “Then… yes. Mrs. Chi, I think I would like that very much.”

 

         “Wonderful!” the elder woman smiled, “Now let’s finish cleaning up so we can all go home. I've got to get some sleep at some point tonight, these old bones aren’t what they used to be.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your feedback is appreciated! Thank you for reading :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a bedtime story

T H R E E

 

         “Mommy?”

 

         “What is it, dear?”

 

         “Can you tell me a bedtime story?”

 

         “It’s very late, Yuki, and we don’t want to wake your sister up, do we? Why don’t I tell you a story tomorrow night?” Her mother smiled, patting her head lightly.

 

         Yuki frowned disappointedly and looked over at her baby sister in the bed next to her. She was already fast asleep. “But…” she mumbled, biting her lip, “I don’t think I can go to sleep without a story, mama.”

 

         “Oh, and why is that?” she asked, raising a bemused eyebrow.

 

         “The moon is gone, mama, it’s dark and scary without it.”

 

         Mrs. Tatsumaki shook her head but smiled sympathetically, “The moon isn’t gone, Yuki, it just has to rest every once in a while because it works so hard all the time.”

 

         “The moon is sleeping?”

 

         “Yes.” she nodded.

 

         “You said the moon protected us. Who’s going to protect us tonight, mommy?”

 

         “Your father and I will protect you.”

 

         “But don’t you and daddy get tired?”

 

         “Yes, that’s why we take turns. Our bodies may get tired, but we never tire of keeping our little girls safe. We will always watch over you, Yuki, even when the moon doesn’t.”

* * *

 

         The snow fell heavier on the mountain than it had down in the village. As the young shinobi followed the path upwards, he shuddered and recoiled from the freezing wind. After he left the tavern, he had decided to see this village for himself to see how much of what the woman said was true. The old trail was easy enough to find, splitting off to the north at the far side of the village, but it was clear that it hadn’t been well maintained at all in recent years. Just then, his foot got caught on a hidden root and he stumbled forwards, catching himself with his hand on a nearby tree. He grumbled a few choice words under his breath and continued on, wishing he was anywhere besides stuck in this horrible weather alone. Thoughts of a warm hearth and his wife’s welcoming arms were brought to the surface of his memory, and he sighed. How long had it been since he’d been home?

 

         As he climbed higher, he began to see signs of an abandoned civilization, and fire. Here, the burnt husks of ancient trees still stood. Once great, their ashes now provided the perfect soil for the new growth that could be seen sticking out of the snow every few feet. The wind sounded eerily human as it whistled through the trees around him, but he shook it off as best as he could and trudged on.

* * *

 

          Suddenly, Yuki’s sister stirred next to her and began crying loudly. “Oh,” their mother sighed, picking up her youngest and pulling her close, “Why are you crying, my little flower?” she cooed, stroking her fingers through the child’s soft pink hair.

 

         “Why did she wake up, momma?”

 

         “I don’t know, dear, sometimes babies just do this.” Natsumi Tatsumaki replied, swaying and trying to quiet the baby in her arms. She’d been tending to the household chores all day and was quite exhausted already.

 

         “I’m sorry mama.”

 

         “Why are you apologizing, sweetheart? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

         “You always work so hard.” she replied quietly, looking down at her hands, “I woke her up and now you have to work more. It’s my fault.”

 

         “It’s alright, Yuki, your sister just cries a lot; it’s what babies do. Nothing's your fault.” her mother smiled tiredly as she gently patted her youngest daughter’s back. The child burped, and quieted down almost immediately. “You see? She was just uncomfortable and needed to burp.”

 

         “She can’t burp by herself?”

 

         “No, her muscles aren’t strong enough. She’s still a baby so we have to help her.”

 

         “Why do babies cry so much? Did I cry like this?”

 

         “Well, for all sorts of reasons: because she’s tired, or hungry, or too full, if she’s gassy, or if she needs to burp, she does it if her diaper’s dirty, or when she’s scared, and sometimes it’s just because she wants attention.” Mrs. Tatsumaki  smiled, “You didn’t cry nearly as much, but you’ve always been quiet.”

 

         Yuki nodded thoughtfully and remained silent as her mother continued to lull her sister back to sleep.

 

         After a few more minutes of gentle rocking and humming, the child drifted off to sleep again, and Natsumi laid her back in the bed next to her sister. Brushing her long red hair out of her face, she turned to her eldest daughter. “Now... what about that story you asked for, princess?”

* * *

 

          Once he reached the community itself, he had to stop just to be able to take in the full extent of the damage that had been done to it. There was not a building that had been left standing. Everything had been pillaged, destroyed, and burnt to the ground. He continued walking towards what he assumed had to have been the clan leader’s home, as it was the largest and most damaged residence, but stopped short when he heard a crunch under his feet. Glancing down and clearing away the snow with his boot, he was repulsed to find a pile of bones long stripped of flesh by scavengers and left to rot. Upon further inspection, he uncovered a skull that had been bashed in and was shocked to find it belonged to a child.

 

         “Bastards…” the shinobi muttered, stepping away and shaking his head, “How could any of them have justified this?”

 

         Just as he stepped over the threshold and into the ruins of the large house, a gust of wind almost knocked him off balance. A high pitched screaming could be heard as it whipped through the trees around him, and suddenly the man did not feel like he was alone on the mountain anymore. 

* * *

 

         “Once, there were two families,” Natsumi began, “who had despised each other for so long that neither of them knew why.”

 

         Yuki had crawled under the blankets next to her sister and was listening intently to her mother’s story. She’d heard this one hundreds of times before, but it was one of her absolute favorites.

 

         “One day, the daughter of the first family went out to the woods to be alone after a fight with her mother. She was strong and fierce like the summer sun and refused to become the quiet housewife her mother tried to shape her into. Her eyes burned like hot coals as she trudged through the undergrowth of the forest, trying to get as far away from home as possible. When she grew tired of walking, she stopped to rest on a fallen tree and listen to the forest around her.

         The same day, the eldest son of the second family had decided to take a walk through the trees behind his home. He was tired from training with his father all morning and wished to relax in the quiet forest away from everyone else. He too was strong, but serene like the stream that flowed next to him as he walked. When he reached the clearing he had been searching for, he climbed a tree and closed his eyes, leaning against its trunk.

         After some time, the girl could not bear to sit silently anymore and decided to practice with her weapons. She removed the two daggers that her brother had given her and began to use the trunk of a nearby tree as a practice dummy. However, this could only keep her attention for so long and soon she had cut all the way through the tree. She smiled as she watched the tree fall and listened as the sound of it hitting the ground echoed through the surrounding area.

         The boy was woken from his nap to the sound of a tree falling somewhere in the distance. Intrigued, he jumped down and began to wander in that direction. The woods in that direction did not belong to his family, but still he wondered what reason someone would have to fell a tree in the middle of the forest.

         She felt a little better, but anger and frustration towards her mother were still consuming her thoughts. “Women should not be warriors!” the girl imitated her mother’s shrill, nagging voice as she weaved a few hand signs and sent a blast of fire rocketing from her mouth towards the fallen tree. It burst into flame, and she grinned as the fire consumed it. But anger had clouded her judgement, and a large gust of wind spread the flames to two more nearby trees. She looked up in panic as the surrounding forest quickly caught fire.

         Suddenly, the boy appeared in front of her and quickly jumped into action. Methodically weaving his hand signs, he sent blast after blast of water shooting at the flames until they had all been put out. As soon as he was done, he turned around to see if the young woman was alright and came face to face with his family’s ‘enemy’. He should have jumped back and prepared to fight, but instead he simply stared. When he looked at her, the boy did not see what his family had told him to see. Instead, he saw a frightened girl with dark hair, and she was beautiful.

         The girl, in turn was not frightened by the boy in front of her, but felt a strange calm as she gazed into his impossibly green eyes. She thanked him for his help and they parted ways, but that was not the last they would see of each other. Over the next few months, they met often in the forest away from their parent’s prying eyes, and slowly the two fell deeply in love with each other.” Mrs. Tatsumaki smiled down at her daughter, “No matter how much hatred there is in the world, love will always win, my dear.”

* * *

 

          He pulled the fallen beam off the pile of rubble and unceremoniously tossed it to the ground behind him with a resounding thud. Some loose chunks of metal and stone followed soon after as he searched for any kind of documentation about the family who once lived there. The moon reflecting off broken glass caught his attention, and he scraped away dust and dirt to procure a small picture frame. It was singed and the glass was shattered, but he could still make out the picture inside. The man carefully separated the photograph from its case and studied the family depicted in the image. A man, woman, and two girls smiled up at him and something about the image seemed eerily familiar. The father was young, in his early thirties at the oldest but his hair was white and it was clear that the eldest daughter took after him more than her red haired mother, but the youngest was what really caught his eye.

 

         “Strange.” the shinobi mumbled under his breath as he traced his thumb over the image. To his right, something rustled in the treeline and he stood up quickly to see what it was. With his hand resting cautiously on the hilt of his sword, he slowly walked towards the noise he had heard. “Is someone there?” he called.

 

         The young man was answered with more rustling and the sound of something sniffing around in the brush.

 

         Relaxing slightly, he continued to walk slowly towards the sound until he reached the edge of the clearing. “Alright, I know you’re there...show yourself.” he growled. A pair of pointed ears popped out of the bushes and he watched as a snow white wolf emerged from the woods and stared at him coolly with her haunting eyes. He stiffened, but didn’t move. “Is this your place?”

 

         She continued to stare at him.

 

         “Right, I’m talking to a wolf. I’ve clearly lost it.” he muttered to himself, “I thought you guys usually lived in dens.”

 

         The wolf cocked her head to the side slightly, while somehow looking more judgemental than confused by the man’s statement.

 

         “I’m going to stay the night here… if that’s alright with you.” He added.

 

         This time, she wagged her tail ever so slightly, but enough for him to see it, and walked off as if she was no longer interested in him. She continued down the edge of the treeline before disappearing into the swirling snow.

  
         The shinobi watched her go until he lost sight of her, then made his way back to the ruins. The photo, he picked up off the ground and tucked away into his pack for a later time before beginning to set up a makeshift shelter for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your feedback is appreciated! please R&R

**Author's Note:**

> Your feedback is appreciated!  
> I am currently working on the 4th chapter and will try to update regularly :3


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